Headlines

The vanishing battleground

The current contest is just as close and intense, but the candidates have campaigned in only 10 states since the political conventions. There are towns in Ohio that have received more attention than the entire West Coast.

The shrinking electoral battleground has altered the nature of American self-governance. There is evidence that the current system is depressing turnout, distorting policy, weakening accountability and effectively disenfranchising the vast majority of Americans…

In the current election, the battleground has grown almost comically small. Just three states — Florida, Ohio and Virginia — have accounted for almost two-thirds of the recent campaign appearances by the presidential candidates and their running mates. The three are home to an eighth of the nation’s people.

Blowback

Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.

Comments

This is a good thing for the 87% of us who live outside the battleground states. We get spared the 24/7 presidential campaign ads and robocalls and mailers and door knocks. (We still get plenty of unwanted attention for the state and local races.)

A return to federalism will greatly reduce the impact of this phenomena as issues are returned to their proper domain, the states.

Think about the lack of importance the reelection of a Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi would be to people not in their states if they weren’t able to wield so much power.

Look at where all of the EVs are, CA alone has more than all of the South. Should CA be allowed to dictate to the entire Southeast via federal policy? No!

We must elect strong 10th Amendment conservatives to state offices who are willing to sieze back the rightful powers of the states that have been slowly and steadily usurped since the end of the Civil War.

Otherwise every federal election is a national election with national impact. Reduce the power of the federal government and reduce the impact of the lunatic Leftists.

Sadly, one of the reasons I had for leaving California was the fact that I, as a republican, had no political representation. Of course, I’m no longer a republican. Conservative Texas is still a better fit, though.